Hockey unites and walks for Heroes

Operation Stretcher visits Newbury on 230-mile trek

Malcolm Howe

sport@newburynews.co.uk

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THIRTY hockey matches and a 230 mile walk would be hard enough, but it was a task met by the 44 members of the Operation Stetcher squad that raised money as part of the Hockey for Heroes campaign that stopped off in Newbury last week.

The 44 volunteer stretcher bearers carried a stretcher in which was former Royal Marine Dominic Robert Lovett, who was injured during a military training exercise and is now tetraplegic, and the group set off from Cardiff to travel to Marlow, via occasional roundabout stops at clubs at Gloucester, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Royal Wootton Bassett, Sonning, Amersham and Chalfont, St Albans and Old Loughtonians in east London, visiting Newbury midway through the trek.

After a street collection, squad members took part in three games at Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club’s Henwick home, altogether raising around £50,000 for Help for Heroes.